Hampshire CAB Consortium Working Together

This section aims to give you some ideas on how the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can help you if you are experiencing mental health problems. We can help you in many different areas; below are a few of the situations with which we might become involved. As well as those mentioned we can help with consumer, legal, tax and many others. We also help in many different ways from just being a listening ear to representing your interests to another party.

Some CABx have specialist workers who take on different roles and help in different ways. Some may be able to see you at home. Others may be able to go to court with you or represent your interests at a CPA meeting.

When you come to the CAB or are visited by a worker, you can always be assured of:

• Respect, dignity, and impartiality.
• Confidentiality. Anything you say will be treated in confidence and we will never talk to another person, outside the bureau, without your express permission.
• Equality. The CAB service never discriminates on the grounds of sex, race, age, colour or disability.

Citizens Advice is a voluntary organisation that aims to help people to manage their problems with advice, information and practical support. As well as working with individuals to sort out their problems, the CAB service works to change services and policies that are failing.

There were 5.4 million visits to CABx last year. Many of those people would have problems that related to their mental health. Having a mental health problem can mean that a person experiences all sorts of difficulties; from employment and housing, to benefits and debt.

Here are some examples of the issues people with mental health problems face and how the CAB can help you to tackle them.

SOCIAL SECURITY
People with mental health problems may experience continuing difficulties with claiming social security benefits. Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance often cause much distress for people trying to claim because the forms are so long and don't give people a chance to describe the difficulties they have.

CABx can help in many ways. We can help you to fill in your benefit forms and we can help you to obtain evidence to support your claim. If you are appealing a decision and have to go to a tribunal, some CABx have people who can go with you and help put your case.

DEBT
Debt is a problem for many people and is one of our biggest areas of work. Difficulties with paying the bills and meeting the demands of creditors can lead to personal conflict and family instability. People with mental health problems may be more likely to experience debt problems because of changing circumstances and the stress of managing money. 

CAB advisers can help you plan your budget and draw up a financial statement. We can also write to your creditors and negotiate easier ways to pay. If you have to go court, some CABx have people that may be able to go with you.

Problems with housing often go hand in hand with debt and social security problems. If you have a mortgage you may experience difficulties making the monthly payments. If you pay rent, you may have problems securing the right amount of Housing Benefit. Either way, the threat of losing your home or the burden of dealing with the financial issues can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety.

As we have mentioned already we can help you to secure the right amount of benefit and plan your budget effectively. We may also be able to deal with some other housing issues such as disrepair or the threat of homelessness, by negotiating with your landlord, lender or local authority. We may be able to recommend other organisations that can help with money or furniture.

HOUSING
Problems with housing often go hand in hand with debt and social security problems.   If you have a mortgage you may experience difficulties making the monthly payments. If you pay rent, you may have problems securing the right amount of Housing Benefit. Either way, the threat of losing your home or the burden of dealing with the financial issues can lead to a great deal of stress and anxiety.

As we have mentioned already we can help you to secure the right amount of benefit and plan your budget effectively. We may also be able to deal with some other housing issues such as disrepair or the threat of homelessness, by negotiating with your landlord, lender or local authority. We may be able to recommend other organisations that can help with money or furniture.

EMPLOYMENT
People with mental health problems may encounter many obstacles in the field of employment. They may have trouble getting a job, keeping a job, or getting on with their colleagues or work-mates; perhaps because of discrimination. Often, the stress of a job can lead to mental health problems.

The CAB can help you to manage financially while you are out of work, and offering you support to help you back to work. We may be able to negotiate with the JobCentre or perhaps refer you for further advice or training.  If you are having trouble at work, we may be able to negotiate with your employer or help you make an application to an employment tribunal.
 

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